Closer
by Retromantic
Summary: There's something wrong with Regina. Every man she has ever dated has met an unfortunate end... Perhaps she should switch her sights to something she can't hurt. Eric/OC/Godric.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Not abandoning my other story - life is just sort of hectic right now and this story just came tumbling out of me!

Please review or send me a PM - it totally motivates me to write more! Thank you guys for reading, and I hope you like it.

* * *

Rain lashed against his face just as it did the shingles of the cookie-cutter house on which he was perched. Relentlessly, torrents whipped back and forth by the raging winds sent the masses to their homes, leaving the streets open, dark, and empty.

Dark eyes closed, his head fallen limp against his chest, he inhaled. Deep scents filled his long dead lungs, and right away, he knew something was amiss. The stench of humans parted much like the Red Sea by a delicate, floral scent, unlike anything he had encountered before. Undertones of musk, the pure smell of heat, and fire prickled his nose.

"Stan."

Within a blink of an eye, another being joined him on the rooftop. A wide-brimmed cowboy hat hid most of his features, but as lightning flashed, you could catch just a glimpse of the protruding canines, sharp enough to slice diamonds.

"Yessir?"

The southern drawl within Stan's voice was significant, perfectly accenting his wardrobe, yet a recognizable tone was completely absent from the other man. It was as if he was from another world entirely, or a time long gone by.

"Alert the others. There will be no supernatural in this city that I do not know of."

With those words, Stan was gone. The air beside him stilled, only for a second, before it was filled once more with the harsh rain. Lifting his eyes to the churning sky, he dared to take another whiff. This one, he knew, he would not forget. No matter how many more millennia he lived, Godric knew that this scent would be one that would stay with him for eternity.

"So…. What, you're like a personal assistant?"

Regina Fallon sipped her chai-iced tea, reminiscing over the long winter nights clasping a hot cup of the same beverage. Things like that weren't available in Dallas – everything was iced. It had to be, of course. This was Texas.

The man shifted uncomfortably in his designer suit – Prada, if her eyes weren't deceiving her. He looked completely out of place in the trendy bohemian coffee house, a fact that she didn't miss. Regina's lips curved into a smirk as he fumbled with his too hot coffee, "black", as he ordered it.

"Um, well, not exactly…"

Her eyes drifted slowly to the bag of dry-cleaned laundry hanging off of his chair, and then towards his thumbs tapping quickly away on his Blackberry. She didn't think he had put the damned thing away since they had sat down ten minutes ago.

The smirk held its place.

"Ya sure?"

He looked out of the window, releasing a purposefully slow breath. Afternoon shadows dimmed his handsome features, but couldn't touch the intensity of his eyes. The man was hot, she thought. A bit older than she liked, but nothing she hadn't dealt with before. Taller than her, dark hair, and drilling eyes – he met all of the prerequisites to win a first date.

He puffed his chest out as he spoke in an authoritative voice. "I'm a lawyer, actually. The group of clients I'm working with now had me sign a non-disclosure agreement, so I can't actually tell you what I do."

She hummed, nodding her head slowly. Boring. Using her forefinger to brush back mussed, corn-silk blonde hair, she decided to remain silent and let him do the talking - for once. It took a few seconds, but with the dull rabble of the coffee shop slowly dimming, Hugo realized he would need to speak up if he wanted to keep this going. Not that he really did.

"So, how old are you anyways?"

"Twenty-one," she lied.

Now it was his turn to hum, although with a slightly less assuring tone. "Hah, so, any crazy exes?"

Regina's eyes dimmed, turning from the cobalt blue to a deeper, dangerous color. Hugo, who promptly pushed back his chair in anticipation to escape, didn't miss this change. It was expected.

_She was drunk. Again. With this new boyfriend, it seemed the only way she could ever handle him was with copious amounts of liquor. Not a great sign of things to come, but at sixteen, she didn't know any better._

_He was dreamy in a way that only California boys could be. The sun bleached hair, the bright blue eyes, and freckled shoulders made her all tingly in just the right places, but the words that came out of his mouth didn't seem to ever stimulate anything above or below the waist. _

_Sitting on his mother's couch, Jonathan had endured two hours of Sex in the City, and now he was ready to get some sex in _this_ city, if you know what I mean. How could he resist, especially with that scent she always seemed to have._

_"Reggie, baby," he mumbled against her shoulder, kissing his way to her collarbone. "I don't think I can stand another episode of Samantha dry humping a teenager..."_

_She sighed, and resigned herself to turn off the television. It was going to happen for the first time, and it was going to happen tonight - she could feel it welling up inside of her. Keeping her back to the couch where he sat, Regina slowly peeled off her tank top, teasingly rolling her hips. Her denim shorts were the next to go, until she was left only in her undies. _

_When she turned around, she found Jonathan more than prepared. Not only were his pants off, but his socks were thrown haphazardly on the floor, as well. He was pleasantly endowed, and that scared Regina more than anything else. She didn't want it to hurt. As Regina straddled his thighs, he pulled her panties to the side, and began to rub against her core. A delicate moan escaped her parted lips. This is what she had dreamt of._

_Slowly, Jonathan slid into her in an attempt to claim her for all time as his._

_Her hands wrapped sensually around his head, pulling him closer to her chest. Regina could feel his heartbeat inside of her, she could feel each breath he took, and the steady rhythm of his hips and thumb threatened to send her over the edge into an oblivion she had never been to before. _

_"I.. I'm- gonna..." She squeezed her eyes shut tightly. He would never see the bright blue irises turn. Regina's muscles tightened around his length, pulsating with wave after wave of pleasure._

_With the final muscle spasm, the hands that held his head gripped tighter. A grunt registered in Regina's ears as Jonathan continued to pump inside of her._

_Her hands twisted his head, a sharp crack echoing throughout the room. She felt his final breath. His final heart beat._

The darkness faded as her eyes re-focused. The first thing Regina noticed was the frightened look on her date's face, and the second was that she probably hadn't spoken in at least three minutes.

"Heh, uh, sorry about that. Reminiscing, ya know? I've had my share, but nothing that should come back to haunt me..."

Quickly, she turned the conversation back towards a safer, less murderous subject, "So why did you call me Linda when we first met?"

He looked upwards, grinning. "You looked just like her from behind."

Lifting a delicately tweezed eyebrow, she scoffed. "Do we share some hideous deformation I should know about?"

"No, no, no," he stressed, "You both have very, um, redeeming assets."

"Look, Hugo," she said, placing both elbows on the well-worn wooden tabletop and leaning forward, " – if that is your real name -," a breathy giggle escaped her lips, but she continued, "Why did you ask me here, - here of all places! – today?"

Hugo leaned forward as well, teeth formed in a medically perfected smile. "I have to admit, once I saw you from behind in that grocery isle, I knew I couldn't just let you walk away… although I would've enjoyed the sight."

The smirk transformed into a full-fledged smile. "You just don't seem like a coffeehouse kind of guy."

He leaned back against his chair, finally settling his phone into his jacket pocket, "I'm not. Wanna get out of here?"

Regina glanced at her phone quickly, "Definitely. My, um, dogs need to be fed."

It was a lie, and not a very good one, but hopefully it would see her through to the end of the night without any trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

Hugo's car, parked around the corner of the coffee shop, was just about as nondescript as it gets. Very befitting for a lawyer, Regina thought as she gingerly slipped into the black leather seats. Smoothing out her brightly floral skirt, she took a moment to check her phone.

8 missed calls.

8 voice mails.

13 text messages.

Her date settled into the driver's seat, and took a moment to glance at Regina as he pulled at the safety belt. Hugo's breath hitched in his throat. The girl was literally breathtaking, and for a moment, he forgot all about Isabel. They had warned Hugo about this girl - they had no clue what she was capable of, or even what she was, but that's all they told him. He wondered what they wanted with her, and found himself sincerely hoping it wasn't anything as vicious as he suspected.

"So, um, where we goin'?"

Her lilted voice brought him out of his stupor. Finally clicking his belt into place, Hugo brought the car to life, glancing at clock on the dashboard. Hugo grimaced - he was going to have to make this fast if he was going to get back in time for sundown.

"I was thinking maybe like the movies or something. There's this one I've been wanting to see for weeks bu-"

Hugo cut her off, "Hate to say, but I have to cut this short. Got a meeting at six that completely skipped my mind."

"Oh, well, you don't have to take my home." Anywhere but there. "Just, um, drop me off at the nearest movie theater."

"And give another man a chance to snake into my territory? I don't think so, darlin'." He winked. He had his orders. "Besides, don't you have a dog to feed?"

She avoided the question. Of course there was no dog.

"Your territory, huh?"

Regina winked back, forcing a grin on her face, cursing the fact that she let him pick her up at her actual address. Sloppy planning that Regina expected to pay for in full.

As he drove, they talked of little things. He learned her birthday (April 26th) and she learned he had studied law at Texas Tech. His cell phone vibrated from within his jacket pocket a total of twelve times, but Hugo assumed his order of keeping her as safe as possible would be compromised if he tried to check it while driving. She would be awake now, a few minutes before sunset. Hugo knew she was worried

Regina's phone, on the other hand, had a new tally by the time they parked in front of a modestly sized, one-story brick exterior home. 32 missed calls, 32 voicemails, and 44 text messages went unanswered, unheard, and unread, and she knew as soon as she walked past that threshold, there would be hell to pay. The sun was disappearing over the horizon every passing second, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by either party. Soon it would be full dark. He was late.

"We're here," Hugo announced, unlocking the doors.

"Did the big moving truck give it away again?" Regina joked, opening the car door and slowly stepping out. At their meeting in the grocery store, her quick directions had been just that: quick. The one with the big red moving truck, she had said.

"I'll call you tomorrow, maybe I can help you unpack or something." He smiled. He wouldn't be able to call unless he was ordered to, but he already found himself missing the scent that filled his car when she sat next to him. Maybe he could find a way around it if they said no.

The front door to her home flew open.

"Regina Adrienne Fallon, you get in this house right this instant!"

The voice was aged, rough, and harsh. It echoed down the quiet neighborhood street. Squeezing her eyes shut, she mouthed a curse before plastering a smile on her face.

"I'll see you later, Hugo. I had fun."

Pivoting on her heel, she slowly sauntered to the front door of her new home, where her grandfather stood firmly, shotgun in hand.

* * *

The nest was dark when Hugo arrived, as it usually was when humans were not around. He whispered, "Honey, I'm home," before flipping the light switch. What he saw, he was unprepared for.

On the long couch sat his beloved, Isabel. She was spaced out, staring blankly as he noticed they did when they were waiting. Across from her in an armchair was Godric, the leader, as he understood. Sheriff is what he'd heard them call him every once in a while, and although he'd only been with Isabel for a few months, he thought he understood what that meant.

Hugo didn't understand.

From the darkest corner of the room, the familiar southern drawl of Stan filled the air, "Well look who's come to join us! Goddamn Ricky Ricardo himself."

"Who?" Isabel asked, raising a single finger in a come-hither gesture to her human.

"I Love Lucy ring a bell? Anything? Desi Arnaz? Anyone?" he hesitated for a second before he continued. "Well, at least your damn human understands me... doubt he knew he's a vamp, though."

Hugo raised his eyebrows as Isabel settled into the crook of his shoulder, rubbing against him almost as a cat would. "So are you guys going to tell me why I had to gather information from this girl? She was a tough egg to crack, lemme tell you. Waiting for her to come out of the house and go somewhere public took long enough - not sure if she'll ever warm up enough to even give me her damn dog's name."

"No, you do not need to know why you are gathering information from this girl," Godric replied, speaking for everyone. He always did. "What have you learned?"

"Said she was twenty-one... but I doubt that. Guess she was about eighteen - looked like she was still living with her grandparents, or had a very old father, or somethin'. Recently moved. Wouldn't talk about past relationships, but she didn't look, um... how to say this, green behind the ears when it came to dates, at least."

"Name?" said Stan, hardly bothering to muffle his amused voice. Useless.

"Regina, um... I think the man called her Regina Fallon. Didn't manage to get her full name before the guy said it."

"You think?" Stan chuckled, coming farther into the living room. "We're not paying you to think. We're paying you to fucking gather information."

Stan stalked across the remaining space in between the couple gathered closely on the couch. "Not sure why you're gettin' fuckin' paid anyways, isn't her your human, Isabel? Huh?"

Her fangs were out in an instant. "Hugo is mine."

Hugo had learned to keep his mouth shut long ago when it came to her possessiveness... the sex was so worth being a kept-man. Besides, maybe one day they could have their own human plaything to call "theirs". Once he was made vampire.

Hugo didn't understand.

* * *

"Who was he, Ginny?"

The childhood nickname wasn't lost on Regina. It was a ploy - it was always a ploy - to have her walls come tumbling down so she would run into his arms once again, spilling all her scary stories that her mother whispered to her in the middle of the night.

"No one."

She had learned over the years to keep more secretive. If she didn't, they would move again. Just as she started really putting down her roots, her grandfather would tear up her hard work and move them to some new po-dunk town. Only this time, it wasn't a town out in the sticks. It wasn't in Alaska, or that one island no one ever visits on Hawaii. It certainly wasn't Nebraska, thank God. This was the Metroplex; this was Dallas, Texas, baby. Yee-haw. She didn't understand it; it had been almost two years since they had lived in a city with a population over 10,000. Maybe, just maybe he had run out of small towns to run to where he hadn't been stationed.

What Regina had seen so far in her brief escapades looked nothing like the bigger cities of New York or Chicago she had seen in books, or back when she was allowed to watch TV when they had first started running, but she could definitely learn to love it here. Cowboy hats and all.

If only he would let her have the chance to love here.

"I told you, Gin. No boys allowed. Do you hear me? And god, definitely no men! What were you doing?"

She was learning to put her roots down fast, that's what she was doing. Regina turned around as she neared the top of the stairs. His face was wrinkled - seemed to get worse every time they moved - and he was paler than normal. "He's just some guy I met at the grocery store."

"Grocery store? When did you go to the grocery store?" His voice was rising.

"While you were off buying new furniture. The fridge was empty."

"Of course it was empty, we-"

"I know, I know, moved in yesterday. I was hungry, okay? Ya know, I think they have some sort of law about keeping me all cooped up like this."

"I am your legal guardian. I am your grandfather. The world isn't safe out there at night for a girl like you anymore."

"Oh, what now? What's gonna get me now? The big bad wolf? Tornadoes? In Tennessee, it was the killer bees. In Alaska, it was global warming. Hawaii, volcanoes!" Regina was becoming irate, her face becoming redder as his grew less.

"You don't need to worry yourself about it. Just... be back before dark and don't go anywhere without me. That's all I ask of you."

She took a deep breath. "Doubt the cops are looking for me anymore, anyway. I don't think they ever were." Tears welled up in her eyes, "Can't we just go home now?"

"You know we can't. We can't risk that. I won't let you risk that." He paused and took a deep, labored breath before issuing an order in his most authoritative voice. "You can't see that man again."

She turned back, and continued to make her way to her room down the hall as he called up, loud enough for her to hear.

"You know what will happen."

* * *

"Send her a text message reading, 'Would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow at my place?'"

"No, no, that's fuckin' stupid. Keep it simple; make it a command, 'Dinner tomorrow at my place.' Humans really love to be dominated." Stan leered, "Isn't that right, Isabel?"

The fangs of the two vampires hadn't retracted for the past ten minutes, and neither seemed to be able to come to an agreement on how Hugo should go about asking Regina on a second date. They needed more information. It needed to be discreet should something go bad. It had taken an hour for them even to agree on dinner being a suitable second date, let alone one at the nest.

It will be the safest way for us to check her out without suspicion, Godric had said, I am your younger brother, and we live together while I go to the University of North Texas at Dallas.

That was the last time the oldest vampire had spoken. It was also the last time anything would be agreed on for a long while.

Around two o'clock in the morning, as Regina slept quite unsoundly, her phone buzzed with a new text message.

"I'd like to have you over for dinner at my place tomorrow.

Call me."

* * *

AN: No, this isn't a Hugo/OC romance... promise ;) Please review - every time my crackberry lights up with another email alert, I get a little more excited for this story and its potential!

DrowningInFlames, UntitledEnder, and Birdym, thank you so so so much for the reviews! They really put me in gear to deliver another interesting (I hope!) chapter!

DrowningInFlames: I hope I can keep you interested!

UntitledEnder: I hope you keep liking where I'm going with this ;) I know I do. But, as they say, it's gotta get bad before it gets good.

Birdym: Hell yeah. :D Snapped his neck like a twig!

And of course, thank you Jeanie91, XueLin, FlyAwayBirdOfPrey, downbelowgirl, varja, Tsumi, SummerJane'10, kyskhet, and almaloun for putting this story or me on alert!


	3. Chapter 3

I'm back! Please review and send me pretty PM's. More info below.

* * *

Regina stared with intent into the mirror as she brushed through her tresses. She had lost count of the strokes long ago, but the number didn't matter to her anymore. Sitting in front of her bathroom mirror with nothing but a towel wrapped around her, she hummed a tune, setting down the brush. There was still an hour until she would sneak out of the house, and with fuck-all to do, Regina wasn't sure how she should fill her time.

Behind her, she saw the dress she would soon put on hanging on her bathroom door. Regina knew the outfit would intrigue her date. With all of her curves hugged in all the right places, the material of the dress was tight, black, and short. Just her cup of tea. As her eyes lost focus on the mirror, she thought of Hugo.

He wasn't exactly her usual type, she smirked, thinking of the California blondes. Yet, after weeks of being alone with just her grandfather, Hugo's insistence at the grocery store had been more than flattering. Tall, dark, and handsome was a break from the norm for her, but she was never one to deny herself a new experience.

Regina's eyes refocused back on her reflection in the mirror. At once, she became aware that something was wrong.

The door was open.

She would have heard her grandfather if he'd come to check on her, she thought, frightened. She stood at a snail's pace, refusing to make any noise as she rose, hoping to see if any of her windows were open. Maybe the wind blew it open, or even the air conditioning could have been the culprit.

A hand wound around Regina's mouth. Her scream was stifled.

She bit down, hard, but the reaction wasn't what she was looking for. The hand didn't move. If anything, the attacker managed to press the wounded digit farther into her mouth. Blood pooled through her opened lips, spilling down her chin while the intruder forcefully turned her to face the mirror.

The man holding her hostage couldn't be much older than her, she noted. Barring his oddly sharp teeth, his dark eyes held hers in the mirror, she blinked at a rapid pace, wanting to be sure of what she saw.

Blood filled her mouth as she took careful efforts to both breathe through her nose and not panic. Tears pooled in the corner of her eyes as she broke her attacker's steady gaze, aiming them towards the ceiling to stop them from falling. Regina began to shake violently.

"Who do you see, little girl?" the man breathed in her ear, making her squirm against him. He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling slowly.

"Who am I?"

Regina's eyes left the ceiling as she gazed in the mirror, taking in her attacker. He wasn't much taller than her, but his width nearly doubled her slender form. She couldn't place him - he was foreign, almost, but pale as a sheet, with dark hair and eyes to match. Curious tattoos circled his arms.

"I..." she sniffed, loudly, "I-I don't know."

Holding her chin to one side, he grazed his nose along her neck. Hot breaths sent shivers along her shoulders, his lips slid along her smooth skin, ending at the delicate curve. The artery.

The hand pressing her hip into his moved lower. Lifting just the tip of the towel, his fingers drifted across her inner thigh. She moaned and pushed herself closer to him, all instinct. She never saw his fangs sink into the soft flesh of her neck, but she heard his whisper.

"I am the devil."

With a snap, Regina's head popped up from the bathroom counter. She was on her guard instantly, checking every nook and cranny of the room. Yet, the door behind her was closed, and there were no marks on her neck.

"Just a dream..." she mumbled, checking her phone for the time." Shit!"

* * *

"Where the fuck is she?" Isabella snapped, tapping her heels to the kitchen tile. "If we glamour Antonio into thinking it isn't past eight one more time, he will fall asleep right into his frying pan!"

The statement seemed true enough. Ten o'clock had come and gone twenty-four minutes ago, and this fact was not lost on the vampires of Dallas.

"If I have to tell you one more goddamn time, you'd better hope that frying pan isn't made out of silver," Stan mumbled into the cowboy hat resting over his eyes. "She's gone. Caught on to us and fled. Who knows what she will bring back with her. Too bad I didn't get to fu-"

A knock cut off the crass cowboy.

Within the blink of an eye, Stan and Isabella were hidden. Godric remained where he sat the entire night, and continued to read out of a large tome in a foreign language. Hugo, however, slapped a silly grin across his face, and rushed to open the door.

In front of him was a sight to behold – one few ever see in a lifetime. Her blonde hair cascaded in waves reminiscent of the 40's, and her eyes glittered like gems, but the dress was truly what caused a tightening in Hugo's black dress pants.

The dark material stretched across her form, hugging every curve. The slope of her hips was almost unbearable to not reach out and touch, but Hugo kept his hands to his side with considerable effort.

"Sorry I'm so late," Regina said, her voice barely above a whisper. She leaned against the door frame, crossing her ankles. "Can I come in?"

* * *

I know it's is so short, and I apologize for that. It has been a long, long time. Too long! But I've found myself a new man, a new state, and a new school. I couldn't leave this story behind! Expect more of a true update soon.

Thank you so much for the reviews while I took my "vacation"!

Please review and send me PM's! They motivate me in ways you can only understand if you're a writer. To know that you all enjoy what I am putting down drives me to improve and write! Below this is a teaser for a possible new story (I will continue this one, of course). Please PM me (don't review here!) if you like it and would like to hear more!

* * *

Pamela Swynford de Beaufort always loved a bit of glitz in her life, and lately her undead status was less than glamorous. V-Feds and sleeping inside of an airplane coffin? Yuck. The earth brought far less comfort than that tin can. Lying next to the seventeen year old sweetheart, Pam knew she had jumped the gun... maybe even gotten a little trigger-happy.


	4. Chapter 4

Regina picked idly at the cheese and cold meat platter. Her stomach was killing her, but the smell wafting through the kitchen was too delicious to gorge on cheddar cubes.

Twenty minutes had passed since Regina made her entrance into Hugo's lavish home. "Lawyers, huh?" she mumbled, twirling on her heels to sink in the lavishness. After seeing his indoor waterfall, the appearance of Antonio the Sleepy Chef didn't even cause her to bat an eyelash.

"Where are my manners?" Hugo asked rhetorically. He had been droning on about his old ex-girlfriend, specifically on how amazing she was in bed. It was getting old fast.

"Anything with alcohol," Regina said, plopping a piece of turkey into her mouth. "Please."

Hugo nodded, and left towards the kitchen, where Chef Antonio diligently worked on a the decadent Italian meal.

"Aren't you under the age of consumption?"

Regina grinned wildly, making a raspberry noise with her mouth. "And don't tell me you're not! Drinking red wine all night like it's no big deal… That's total hypocrisy."

She had tried not to eye Hugo's younger brother all night. Really, she had tried. But with Hugo incessantly babbling over the shape of his ex-girlfriend's earlobes, and a mysterious hunk-muffin brooding in the corner, she couldn't really blame herself for her wandering eyes. She had been quite surprised with the lack of true attention from Hugo, considering the way his hands had lingered on their last date. He seemed jumpy this time, like he was in a rush to keep her busy.

And now that she had the attention of such a beautiful specimen, damned if she was going to let his attention wander.

"What have you been reading all night?"

"Oh, just a volume concerning mythical creatures."

"Is it for one of your college courses?"

"Yes, exactly." He smiled, and Regina's heart caught in her throat, feeling her own smile spread across her cheeks along with a slight blush. "Regina, am I correct?"

He stood and crossed over the living room to shake her hand, but stopped mid-step and put his hand away. Raising one eyebrow, Regina nodded. "And you're Godric?"

The man in question was backing away, and Regina was about to stand and force him to shake her hand when Hugo returned.

"So, I see you've met me bo-b-brother!" Hugo stumbled on his words, placing a cup with amber liquid in front of her.

"Yeah, seems like a bit of a nerd," Regina responded, flipping her hair over her shoulder to look at Godric. He clenched his jaw – oops, guess he didn't exactly appreciate that joke. "Only kidding of course," she winked, "I do like my men educated."

The Italian chef waltzed into the living room. "And dinner is served! We will be having an organic baby spinach salad with julienne slices of pears with a light Sardinian pecorino cheese, and Risotto al Nero di Seppie."

On a square, porcelain plate sat a small portion of green spinach with white slices of what I assumed were the pears. I grinned, and took a bite, happy to have a real plate of food in front of me, but as soon as my mouth tasted the cheese, I grimaced and nearly spit the salad back onto the plate. I swallowed heavily and waited until Antonio had retreated back to the kitchen to tell Hugo what I thought of the appetizer.

"This shit sucks."

Hugo opened his mouth like a fish, a goop of green mush in the middle. I scrunched up my nose, and he seemed to realize himself and swallowed. "You don't like it? Antonio is the most reputable Italian chef in all of Texas."

"The cheese is… um, too strong."

"Well then pick it out or-"

"I'll have Antonio fix up a plate for you sans formaggio right away," Godric said, his mouth a hard line.

"Oh you don't have to…" Regina began, but trailed off as she realized he wasn't even in the room with them anymore. "I think I've made a bad impression on your brother. He doesn't really seem to like me."

"He's always like that," Hugo mumbled, taking another bite.

Regina took a sip of her drink, a hummed in contentment. "How did you know Captain and Coke was my favorite?"

Hugo looked alarmed for a moment, but easily melted into a smile. "It's mine, as well."

She grinned back, but the moment was quickly ruined.

Antonio came out of the kitchen in a huff, nearly tossing a plate of salad at Regina without even looking at her.

"And how about Senior Italiano?" she mumbled.

Regina didn't find her mood lifting as the night progressed, although the Captain and Cokes were endless. Apparently, Risotto al Nero di Seppie meant rice cooked with seafood, which would have been fine, "Except it's fucking black. Like squid ink black!"

"That's because, Signorina Regina, it is made with squid ink!" The chef exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air and knocking off his glasses in the process. "Bonta mia, I feeling like I have not slept in days… excuse me, I must lie down before I finish the desert."

Regina pushed the heel of her palm into her lips, stifling a giggle.

Hugo frowned, "I hope you like the dessert – you need to get some food in with that alcohol."

She flipped a hand, "Whatever, my tolerance is to like," she put her hand above her head, swaying, "here."

"Well you aren't going to drive yourself home tonight, in fact-"

Godric cut Hugo off with an insistent glance, "I will."

"Wh-yes, yes, Godric will. I have a hearing to attend to early in the morning. My apologies," he smiled enigmatically.

Chef Antonio returned to the living room, looking as if he had slept all night, and placed a large dish on the dining table. Hugo's frown returned, "Chocolate cake? Didn't Is-Godric inform you that I was allergic?"

Antonio didn't even respond, walking as if in a daze back to the kitchen. Regina blinked in surprise, "What a rude little man… but chocolate, finally, he's speaking my language!"

Grabbing a fork, Regina stabbed a large hunk of the multilayered chocolate cake, and moaned allowed at the first taste of the cream cheese frosting. "Oh, Hugo, this is delicious. And you're allergic? I don't think I can continue this relationship in good faith anymore – I'm having an affair with this fucking thing right here! And God, the sex is messy bu-" and she promptly fell face first into her chocolate boyfriend.

"Have you gotten the cake out of her hair yet, Isabel?" Godric called, sitting on the high backed chair inside of his bedroom.

Quickly after Regina face planted into her dessert, Hugo jumped from the table, demanding to know what was going on. Isabel shooed him from the house, demanding that he return in the evening for further debriefing, and promising that she would visit before the sun rose. A simple sedative was placed in the cake batter before Antonio was able to bake it, and a bit too much thanks to Stanley's heavy hand.

With the flick of her hair, Godric had finally determined where the smell originated – right within the locks of the white blonde hair that flowed down the strapless back of her dress.

"Isabel?" The lack of response gave Godric enough cause for concern. Gently pushing the door open, Godric quickly sprang into action once he comprehended the scene in front of him. Isabel had tilted Regina's neck to the side, and was lazily licking the blood which poured from the puncture wounds her fangs had created.

Faster than the eye could see, Godric pushed Isabel to the side, ignoring her hisses, and bit at the tip of thumb, running the resulting blood over Regina's minor wound. "Have you lost all of your senses?"

Isabel righted herself, pulling down her white pencil skirt. "You forget that I am only four-hundred and fifty-seven years old, Godric. It would take thousands of years to be able to resist such a temptation of being forced to wash her hair, being so close to the carotid artery. I will retire to my chamber. The sun is rising." She zipped out of the room.

He knew. Godric could feel the heat rising in the tips of his toes. Uncomfortable, but manageable. Looping an arm around her neck and knees, he brought her into his room, and laid her on his large bed. The satin rippled beneath her pale skin, and grew dark under her wet head. Her scent filled the room as if someone was pumping it through the ventilation system, and Godric had to force himself to stop taking in breaths, even going as far as forcing his jaw shut lest his tongue taste the smell.

The feeling had spread to his knees, and Godric knew he wouldn't have time to bring her home. Racing through the nest, he gathered the necessary supplies to inject a concentrated dose of the sleeping serum into Regina's arm, once again piercing his thumb to close the wound, and never daring once to take a breath.


End file.
